From the outside, Leila Grace Walker looks like a normal (well, semi-normal) thirteen-year-old. She has wavy brown hair, an annoying younger sister (Kaitlin), and a ton of friends. She's getting ready for high school. She has an overprotective mom. But there's a catch. There's always a catch... Her father left her when she was little. Her mother verbally (and, sometimes, physically) abuses her. Leila also has Bipolar II Disorder, and the one friend she confided in isn't sure whether she's crazy or just seeking attention. Frustrated with the world, forced to retreat into the whirlwind of her thoughts and still act normal, Leila starts self harming--cutting, to be precise. Finally, she can think straight. But the cracks in her mask are beginning to show through. She doesn't know how much longer she can play normal--or if she even wants to anymore.
Attribution: Cover design by Starflower Hunting. Public domain image from Pixabay.
